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The following BSI references relate to the work on this document:
Committee reference GW/1/12
Draft for comment 19/30367893 DC

Foreword

Publishing information

This part of BS 8604 is published by BSI Standards Limited, under licence from The British Standards Institution, and came into effect on 30 November 2019. It was prepared by Subcommittee GW/1/12, Social alarms, under the authority of Technical Committee GW/1, Electronic security systems and products. A list of organizations represented on these committees can be obtained on request to their secretary.

Relationship with other publications

This part of BS 8604 is intended to be the first part in a series. It is anticipated that further parts will be added to the series to cover other applications for social alarm systems.

Information about this document

This publication can be withdrawn, revised, partially superseded or superseded. Information regarding the status of this publication can be found in the Standards Catalogue on the BSI website at bsigroup.com/standards, or by contacting the Customer Services team.

Where websites and webpages have been cited, they are provided for ease of reference and are correct at the time of publication. The location of a webpage or website, or its contents, cannot be guaranteed.

Use of this document

As a code of practice, this part of BS 8604 takes the form of guidance and recommendations. It should not be quoted as if it were a specification and particular care should be taken to ensure that claims of compliance are not misleading.

Any user claiming compliance with this part of BS 8604 is expected to be able to justify any course of action that deviates from its recommendations.

Presentational conventions

The provisions of this standard are presented in roman (i.e. upright) type. Its recommendations are expressed in sentences in which the principal auxiliary verb is “should”.

Commentary, explanation and general informative material is presented in smaller italic type, and does not constitute a normative element.

Where words have alternative spellings, the preferred spelling of the Shorter Oxford English Dictionary is used (e.g. “organization” rather than “organisation”).

Contractual and legal considerations

This publication does not purport to include all the necessary provisions of a contract. Users are responsible for its correct application.

Compliance with a British Standard cannot confer immunity from legal obligations.

Introduction

A social alarm system provides facilities for alarm triggering, identification, signal transmission, alarm reception, logging and, where applicable, two‑way speech communication, to provide reassurance and assistance to individuals living in a specialized grouped living environment.

The customer requirements, design, installation, configuration, commissioning, handover (customer acceptance) and maintenance of social alarm systems often involves many stakeholders, each of which has a specific interest in how the works are performed. This new British Standard is intended to guide those stakeholders in the provision of a timely installation of a reliable and robust grouped living system, to serve the needs of the site(s) and its residents.

The stakeholders can include, but are not limited to, the customer; the specifier; the system designer; the installation organization; the commissioning organization; the alarm receiving centre (ARC); the customer’s representative; service users; and the maintenance organization.

Key drivers for this new British Standard were the findings of Regulation 28 (Report to Prevent Future Deaths)1, and the need for early involvement and liaison with the ARC to ensure that systems are connected using compliant, agreed and tested communication methods, including the correct system, unit and peripheral device identification.

As with any multi‑stakeholder project, early engagement, clear roles and responsibilities, capture of the criteria for success, the needs and constraints, coupled with clear, timely and targeted communication across the project, are all key to a successful outcome and satisfied stakeholders.

1 Scope

This part of BS 8604 gives recommendations and guidance for the design, installation, configuration, commissioning and maintenance of social alarm systems with shared social alarm infrastructure in specialized grouped living environments, to optimize the integrity and reliability of onsite and offsite communications.

This part of BS 8604 does not apply to individual dispersed alarms with no shared infrastructure.

2 Normative references

3 Terms and definitions

4 Roles and responsibilities

5 Design

5.1 Operational requirements specification

5.2 Design document

5.3 Review and approval of the design document

6 Installation

6.1 General

6.2 Installation risk assessment and management

6.3 Site working arrangements

6.4 Installation practices and workmanship

6.5 Inspection and testing

7 Commissioning

7.1 General

7.2 Connection to the ARC

7.3 Customer acceptance test (CAT) and handover

7.4 Customer training

7.5 Service user training

7.6 Documentation

8 Warranty

9 Maintenance

9.1 Preventative maintenance

9.2 In‑service testing

9.3 Corrective maintenance

9.4 Maintenance records

Bibliography

BS 8604-1:2019

Social alarm systems - Design, installation and maintenance of social alarm systems in specialized grouped living environments. Code of practice

Current, Under Review

Published:

30 Nov 2019